Coffee Ikaga Deshou (2021)

A Tale Which Tries To Warm Your Soul…

‘ Coffee Ikaga Deshou’ ( alternatively translated as ‘ How About A Coffee?’) is one of those dramas which will likely remain under the radar for most drama watchers. Based upon the manga of the same name and Adapted to the small screen by screenwriter and director Ogigami Naoko alongside co-director Mori Yoshitaka, ‘ Coffee Ikaga Deshou’ ‘s plot isn’t complex.

Admittedly ‘ Coffee Ikaga Denshou’ isn’t an overly original concept. Main lead and arcane barista and coffee van owner Hajime Aoyama ( played brilliantly by Tomoya Nakamura) comes across in a similar suave and mysterious manner as the “ mysterious flaneur figure” Izakaya owner from ‘ Midnight Diner’.

However on a virtuous note Coffee Ikaga Denshou’ ‘s plot was fairly driven by its prominent messages during most of the series. From dealing with issues such as struggling to fit in the status quo, disillusionment, popularity and grief, most episodes had something fairly
poignant to address about Japanese society and everyday life.

Yet unlike the reoccurring characters of ‘ Midnight Diner’ who were left only to piece together parts of the owner’s past, Aoyama’s link to his backstory as well as his reasons for becoming a coffee connoisseur, played a more “ pivotal role” within the events of the series. The main driving force behind the " tension" of the plot evidently occurred within the interwoven backdrop of each episode focusing upon surrounding the reoccurring onscreen appearance of the mysterious gangster ( Isomura Hayato) who was hunting down Aoyama for unknown reasons .

There’s a lot to discuss about how the series dealt with Aoyama’s character arc. On a positive note playing upon the storyline of Aoyama’s " secrecy being hidden in plain sight" made him an enticing character to learn more about and when his past was revealed it did present a lot of surprising revelations about our main lead. However Aoyama’s transition between his past persona and his current-self rarely felt more subtle or blurred, whilst his journey and struggles to kick past habits ( unless it was necessary for " dramatic tension") often felt disengaged from the storyline.

Due to the change and swap-up of characters during episodes it’s hard to pick out a multitude of characters to analyse in more depth. However due to their reoccurring appearances it is important to discuss ( without spoilers) about how the series dealt with the mysterious gangster Pei and his character arc alongside Shima Kakine ( Kaho)-the first customer to be shown to be served by Aoyama onscreen- and our " final major antagonist”.

Speaking about the latter character Pei’s initial raison d’être is acting as an antagonistic force within the drama by hunting down Aoyama for unspecified goals. However whilst it was undeniably sweet to see Pei have his moment of redemption through his later actions and decisions, the build-up of Pei’s actual character redemption arc often felt sporadic. Of course whilst the drama did drop hints towards Pei’s own personal connections, this rarely felt more built up or more widely interwoven with with Aoyama’s own character arc also.

Then of course there’s Kakine. Kakine is an odd character to discuss as
after her initial appearance in the first episode, her character doesn’t appear again until the last few episodes when the final storyline kicks in. Whilst Kakine is undeniably kindhearted by acting as the stereotypical " moral cheerleader" figure during the later storyline, she’s a character who felt the most paradoxical due to how the series approached her character. To explain this further it is important to point out that Pei initially commented during one of his first interactions with Kakine that she was annoying as she was " boring and dull". However during the first episode one of her major problems throughout the storyline of this episode was her inability to truly fit in at work. It seems an evidently nuanced point and whilst it is correct to assume perhaps from Pei’s perspective, Kakine is boring as she isn’t cut from the same cloth, it seemed an odd point not to expand upon Kakine’s own feelings and thoughts after this initial interaction. Whilst it is evident that perhaps the series didn’t have enough time to focus upon Kakine’s expanded feelings during this episode, it felt a wasted opportunity not to have used more the to have explored Kakine’s feelings, her previous struggled as well as her desire to make a good cup of coffee after her initial meeting with Aoyama.

Last but not least is evidently our " major antagonist" of the series. Now without giving too much away about the plot, our antagonist has their own personal reasons for standing in Aoyama’s way as well as their own screen time to explore their moments of humanity also. On the other hand their character introduction and build-up felt rushed and lacklustre . Whilst it is understandable that the series wanted to keep us in the dark for as long as possible about their identity, it felt slightly odd that the series didn’t try to foreshadow their character introduction or at least their presence in the series as opposed to a quick " climatic turn of events". As a consequence whilst the first half of the series thrived with strong plot messages and mystery, the second- half( whilst presenting more revelations) did seem to struggle with conveying the same ambience of charisma and strong screenwriting .

So is ‘ Coffee Ikaga Denshou’ actually worth watching? Whilst the acting front is fairly decent ( sans from a few awkward line deliverances) and the drama offers an interesting array of characters, main lead Aoyama undeniably has his own peculiar charm over audiences to keep them watching. Each episode offers the formulaic tale of a new issue or message during the first-half of the series and a melodramatic plot climax and revelation during the final part. The end result of eight episodes stringing out a lacklustre climatic buildup will undeniably leave viewers with mixed feelings.

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Freshly Brewed

...the headline is way too corny, sorry~!


This show was so much more than what I thought it was going to be. The synopsis definitely encapsulates a good portion of the show, but mostly the "silver lining" and hides the "bitter, dark, muddy" stuff for later.


You really do build up an affection for the characters in this show, no matter where Aoyama-san parked his mobile coffee shop. I thought it would be something heartwarming and uplifting, a feel good show about the ups and downs within life and how we can overcome them to be better versions of ourselves.... and I don't want to say I was wrong, but..... I was maybe 50% wrong?


This show really delves in to the "past" versions of how people act(ed) and how they "saved" themselves to recreate their lives, for better or worse, and all the dangers in between. There's nothing like a warm cup of coffee or tea to help relax the mind and body, but with the right atmosphere and human connection, sometimes it can also help to heal your soul. Without being too preachy or corny (like my headline) or belittling, this show really told a fantastic story of how wonderful the human connection can be at times.


This story felt a tad like how "Kazoku Games" plot line did: by getting to the core of the issue and starting slowly from ground zero, piecing things together like a puzzle piece until you've learned what went wrong and how to fix it or how to begin again from where you're standing right at that moment. If you wander around thinking everyone else is wrong and you are perfectly correct all the time or everyone else is too bothersome to deal with or you are too smart/powerful for anyone else, then life gets boring and lonely really quick. This show really stands out by showing the viewers that not everyone is a "lone wolf", while some people need a whole flock to follow them and praise them, some people just need people to be there and listen to them, or to just drink a cup of coffee with them in silence; their company is comforting enough.


The entire world is made up of different people, full of wonderful places and things to visit and be part of. I believe that what this story showed was just that: the comfort of familiar even within the unfamiliar and the strength of humans, even at their lowest, can be immeasurable. There isn't a lot of coffee information, which I thought there would be; but it is discussed in a few episodes. None of it is very confusing, in fact it's pretty interesting! I laughed and cried, got scared in a couple of episodes, even! If you're looking for a "slice-of-life" or romance story, then this may not be for you; it isn't really heavy on either genre. But, if you're looking for something relaxing, with an entertaining story that is packed full of charm, integrity, kindness, humanity, and love... Then this is the show for you!

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Would you like to have coffee?

Just finished watching this drama today. I don't usually watch slice of life genre type of dramas since I prefer intense fighting to slow pace stories. However, this drama is actually a gold. A gold that was overlooked by others due to its storyline and so on. Initially, I was attracted by the title of the drama. A drama about coffee? What's so interesting about it? But it change my mind after the first episode.

I would like to share my opinion about the actual meaning for the coffees that Aoyama (Main Lead) provided for his customers. These ideas might have another meaning for you since everyone have their different kinds of mindset.

First Coffee (Time) - From what I understand, Aoyama wanted to tell Gakine that someday, someone would notice her quality. Just like her boss and some little customers, would willing to wait patiently for his coffee while some don't. Just stick to your own will, because, there are something deserve for us to wait.

Second Coffee (Spice) - Sometimes adding a little spice into your life would make your plain world to be more interesting and fun. Change your point of view to witness the most beautiful thing in your life. Then, you will find out out that, there's actually a lot of things that are waiting for us to discover.

Third Coffee (Colourful World) - the society isn't as good as you think. Even the colorful imaginations and decorations can't beautifying the real nature of the world. Just like the coffee that Aoyama made for the high schooler. It tasted sweet and beautiful, everything seemed fine. But don't forget that it was also a coffee too. The true colors will crush your dream and force you to be faced with it.

Fourth Coffee (Life) - We might have done something wrong in our life. Humans are not perfect. How about forget your past and start a new life? I love the scene where they cleaned the coffee machine and dark stains flowing out from the opening. The coffee machine indicated the female who would want to wash away the dirty and guilt inside her that made her miserable. And Aoyama found the right way to solve the knob inside her. Life must go on whatever disaster happened on us.

Fifth Coffee (Mix or Original?) - Mix or original? Sometimes we will find ourselves stuck in between the two roads. Majority will choose the first option in order to satisfy themselves, with the cost - unhappy and insecure. They have forgotten about their real self when getting too immerse in portraying another roles to deal with their life. They might overlooked their surrounding, the true supporters who prefer their original self. Mix or original? Aoyama mixed the coffee and made the taste worse. This told us that sometimes the overdoing would make the situation even worse. Be yourself, don't forget your inner self who is admired by others.

Sixth Coffee (Worng decision?) - Wrong or correct? We might get confused with the result that we did. Some of them would choose to give up when they assume they have selected the wrong decision. But who knows, was that actually a right or incorrect? As long as we don't give up everything we have done, the result might surprise us too. For instance, coffee and rice wine. What a weird combination isn't it? But Aoyama successfully brought out a new flavor for the bar customers. And it actually turned out pretty good.

Seventh Coffee (Blue) - Once again, life must go on. There was a man who was in deeply depressed due to his unfortunate. He didn't want to accept the truth and pretended nothing happened by restricting himself from drinking the coffee. However, the scent was too good and difficult to oppose. Aoyama gave him a coffee. It was blue mountain coffee that the man's wife would make for him before he went to work. Even though she was not as skill as Aoyama, but her coffee was the most tastiest he had ever drank. By having the coffee that Aoyama gave, he realized that he must let go and carried on his life.

Aoyama was actually a good counselor. His way to rescue those souls was by offering a coffee,
be observant and listening to their stories. But before he became a professional barista, he was a Yakuza that still managed to save those who were in need.

The Goon's - although Aoyama didn't give Pei any of his coffees, but Aoyama still managed to gain his loyalty by giving a candy. Just because of this kind action, Pei decided to follow Aoyama forever and respected him from the bottom of his heart. He pretended to hate Aoyama just to protect him.

Bot-Chan's coffee milk - Bot-Chan wanted to drink the coffee milk from him school with his own power without relying on his background. While he drank the coffee milk that Tomaru (Aoyama) made, he felt the sweetness and the happiest he had never had. It warmed his heart and taking a like to Tomaru.

Tako's flavored coffee - also known as Aoyama's first human made coffee in his life. It changed Aoyama life afterwards. It rescued the Yakuza, an aimless teenager who only knew cleaning and punching those 'garbage'. Just because of this coffee, Aoyama managed to reborn and follow his goals just to spread the coffee his teacher taught him. Just like how his teacher saved him from the black.


Aoyama is that kind of rare savior who will appear in our life. He selflessly spread his hope and love to his customers and pull them back from the dark hole just in time.

If Aoyama shows up to you one day, would you like to have some coffee?

Coffee, Ikaga Deshou?

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Would this drama make drink more coffee?

Up to episode 6, it was such a relaxing beautiful watch! I loved the first 4-5 episodes where we followed 2 stories revolving around different types of coffee. When we got around the main lead's background, yes the drama took a turn, but it remained interesting. I think it's in part due to Nakamura Tomoya's acting, it was interesting to see his vulnerable and human side. However, the last 2 episodes became kinda wishy-washy with that 3rd generation boss due to his That self-pity cry-me-a-river coddled spoiled brat persona who's upset he's not the centre of everyone's attention. Like Ewwwww. And the way it was resolved made less sense. I have to admit some punches given were great timing and much-needed.

Up to episode 6, it was a 9.5-score drama for me. Episode 7 brought it down to 5, and the last episode brought it back up, but not enough. Basically what disrupted my joy of watching this drama was the character of the 3rd generation boss.

It is the type of drama you'd want to keep watching and not want it to finish. Therefore if there is a 2nd season, I'd definitely watch it! it'd definitely be better than the first season since we'd get more of what he had in the first couple of episodes, which was perfect and beautiful

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Pause café

J'aime le café ! Alors un drama adapté d'un manga sur ce thème principal ne pouvait que me faire titiller les narines. En rôle principal Nakamura Tomoya, au sourire ravageur et toujours aussi fin gourmet. On peut dire que les producteurs ont mis le paquet pour séduire la Working Girl trentenaire et célibataire. Et pour cause, tirée d'un Josei Manga, genre encore peu connu en France, cette histoire est destinée en particulier à la gent féminine urbaine de cette tranche d'âge, fortement célibataire et indépendante. Le premier épisode ne trompe pas. Nakamura Tomoya s'installe avec son minuscule Foodtruck sur le parvis des grands bureaux de Tokyo ou Yokohama accueillant à l'heure de la pause les offices lady au caractère les plus divers.

Assez Cheap dans la production, on retrouve l'ambiance surannée de Gourmet détective et des clichés que les Japonais adorent tant envers la bouffe occidentale et tellement Rome -Antique. Ici, c'est le café, préparé avec lenteur et classe qui fera fantasmer les papilles du spectateur.

Chaque épisode est scindé en 2 histoires de 20 min accueillant de nouveaux protagonistes à chaque fois. Le fait d'être un ambulant favorisant ce scénario. En regardant le 1er épisode on peut donc imaginer vite se lasser de ce genre de non-événement. L'héroine, power-harassée par son patron, la trouvant désuète dans son travail de secrétaire, mais trouvant réconfort auprès de Nakamura, plus désuet que lui tu meurs. Mais plusieurs indices montrent que l'histoire peut prendre de la consistance rapidement. Même s'ils sont très mal distillé (un peu lourd, dirons-nous).

Beaucoup moins rose qu'il n'y paraît le monde de Nakamura devient bien sombre au fil des épisodes. Une véritable dark story nous faisant sortir totalement de la zone de confort ouateuse mise en place émerge au bout du 3e. Voilà pourquoi il ne faut pas se priver de gouter à ses délicieuses préparations sous prétexte d'un genre littéraire réservé aux secrétaires en mal d'évasion.

Un autre atout de la série, c'est son casting, qui ne met pas seulement en avant le plus beau sourire de la Tokyo TV, mais rassemble autour d'une bonne tasse de café la crème des acteurs de la télévision japonaise. J'en dévoile pas plus, mais quel bonheur de retrouver Adachi Rika ou Kanjiya Shihori rien que dans le premier épisode. Kaho par contre qui tient le rôle féminin phare manque un peu de prestance, mais elle peut encore prendre de la consistance au fil des épisodes. Une fois de plus la performance de Takito Kenichi vous enchantera ou vous agacera, à condition d'arriver à la reconnaître.

Voyager dans les rues de Tokyo grâce au van de notre Jacques Vabre est aussi un bonheur pour le petit français de province à qui marcher dans ses rues manque tellement. Une musique ultra répétitive de style reggae semble à tout moment vouloir rappelé d'où vient le café et pourra donc irriter. Mais elle ne vous sortira plus de ma tête au bout de deux épisodes, alors pourquoi bouder son plaisir.

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